I was desperate to give this five stars. Its so sumptuous and sensual with its language, poignancy and heartache in places that I cursed myself for not reading it sooner. And yet like a erratic lover, this sweet indulgence seemed to over-stretch itself and the pages would blur into one another and I'd lose myself a bit, missing key moments in the plot and glazing over too subtle character traits. It can't be denied, however, that I did enjoy this story that was unexpectedly rich in historic detail and despite the book and film's high profile, there were many unanticipated sub-plots. I'm also grateful to the author and story for highlighting many aspects and events in the Second World War that I was previously unaware of. It made me really think about the thousands and thousands of stories that I haven't yet heard about this well-documented and discussed war that changed the landscape of the world beyond recognition.

I still wish I could have given it five stars, not because of the pleasure in highlighting all five stars in this review, but because I was so eager for the warm, solid embrace it promised me at the beginning to stay with me until the end but like the English Patient, it got lost somewhere in the desert.